What Powder are you using in your 243 WSSM?

hm1996

hm1996

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Planning to pick up some powder for my 243 WSSM Dtech to save hazmat fees.

Mike is using Varget, anyone using ball powders? If so, what kind of performance are you getting? Plan to use 85 gr. NP, 87 gr. Horn. and maybe try some 80 gr. Nos. BT.

Regards,
hm
 
I just loaded some 70 gr. Nosler BT that shot really well. I used 45 grains BLC-2 and it chronoed 3465 fps out of my 243 WSSM upper.

BoomSplat
 
Thanks, Boom. What length bbl? Does the 45 gr. fill the case?

Haven't loaded anything yet. Not sure when my upper will be finished, but shouldn't be too much longer.

Haven't made up my mind whether to use moly or not.
Have an old can of ball c, but may pick up a fresh can and give it a try.

Regards,
hm
 
hm1996,

My barrel is a 24" Oly bull, and I was using moly bullets, and groups were about 3/8". I was using Hogdons data off their web page. I plan on trying some different powders to gain some velocity, just haven't had time yet. Also planning to get my barrel fluted, to cut down on weight and maybe have it ported by Dtech. I would recommend you have yours fluted as it is heavy otherwise.

BoomSplat
 
I have a 20" ordered from Dtech, fluted and ported. Can't wait to give it a try. Mike said he was getting 3350-3400 fps w/87 gr. Hornady and 85 gr NP using Varget & moly bullets. Forgot to ask if it was a compressed load. Bonus was that both bullets had same POI.

Probably should stick w/the Varget load, but I sure like the convenience of ball powders if they can be made to perform as well.

Regards,
hm
 
Varget worked ok in mine but IMR-4350 was the one it seemed to like the best. It also seamed to prefer 95-100 gr. bullets. I loaded 100 grain Nos Partitions with 42.5 grs of 4350 and it was a beauty thing. Worked well on a couple deer this past year.

Never got around to working up the 87's yet but will have to give it a whirl soon. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Dave
 
Thanks, guys! I left early AM on the 9th and just got back. Picked up some Varget and Ball C, looks like I should have picked up some 4350 as well. Probably have about a lb. left in an 8# can, but that will be enough to experiment with.

By the way, see new thread on special that Graf & Sons has on Fed. 243 WSSM brass.

Regards,
hm
 
RamShot Hunter and Hodgdon H4350 are the 2 top powder picks for this chambering and 87 grain bullets according to QuickLoad.

No personal experience with this chambering, but thought this may help.

Mike
 
I'm using 45.2gr of Varget behind a 75gr Moly coated V-max. I'm getting around 3575 out of the 22" upper Mike made me. Getting 1/2" groups fairly easy. Not a compressed load. The powder burns very clean. I've only had the gun for about 3 weeks. Orginally, I had planned to try BC-2, but Mike said it didn't burn as clean as the Varget. I was wondering what you have found. Also, does that Fed brass look good. I bought Win brass and I'm not happy with it. The inside of the necks are very ruff and it won't clean up.
Bart
 
OKoutlaw,

Saw your load data, and it seemed a little high. According to Hogdons data max load for a 70 gr. Nosler BT is 43.7 gr. at 3655fps out of 24" barrel. Hornady's newest manual, 7th edition list 38.6 gr. Varget as max for 75 gr. V-Max. It also had the highest pressure recorded for all of the loads listed. Are you showing any pressure signs, hard extractions? Did you chronograph your load for velocity or is it estimated?

BoomSplat
 
I haven't had any problems with the load so far. Don't forget it is moly coated. But no..no flat primers until 45.7gr. And it's been kicking them out just fine. No inlarged primer pockets either. Speed is actual speed as read on the cono at 7 yards, so I'm sure it's faster. It's a Shilen barrel instead of the Olympic Arms barrel. If you look at the reloading data for the 243 WSSM. You'll find that in a lot of cases that the load data for the 243 WSSM is the same or less than the 243 Winchester. They load the 243 Win to about 55psi and the 243 WSSM can be loaded to around 63psi. I've found that a lot of books won't go much past 55psi in any chambering. That's why you will not see a lot of difference between some wildcats and the parent cartage. Everyone should work up to a load slowly in case of some problem. There maybe the posiblity that I have to come off of the load this summer when we get up to 100+ degeas. It's only been to around 80 since I have gotten the gun.
Bart
 
Quote:
Also, does that Fed brass look good. I bought Win brass and I'm not happy with it. The inside of the necks are very ruff and it won't clean up.
Bart



Quote:
Originally, I had planned to try BC-2, but Mike said it didn't burn as clean as the Varget.



Bart: I can't tell any difference between the FC and Win cases; inside neck appears to have a very slight discoloration (slight frosted appearance)on both. May be a bit of scale from annealing process??? A nylon bore brush will not remove it. Sales clerk @ Graf's said the FC brass was made by Winchester, only headstamp different; he showed me the box they received the brass in and it was a Winchester box.

Haven't loaded any yet, as my upper won't be ready for at least a couple of weeks.

As for Ball C, now I remember why I quit using it years ago in the 308. It did burn about like corn cobs, left a lot of soot IIRC.

Guess I'll try some Varget and 4350 first. Thanks again, guys, for sharing your experience!

Regards,
hm
 
Interesting observation by SuperSeal110 regarding FC brass:

"My buddy picked up some Federal .243WSSM brass. Unless he got a bad bunch of brass, the necks cracked on them. He said he'd pay double for the Winchester brass for now on. I think he said the necks broke on 30 or 4 out of 10rds. This was brand new brass with only 1 loading on them.

I've seen him use the Win brass and we have crony some of rds at 4200+ and never had a problem with them cracking.

Maybe he got a bad bunch of brass or is this a common issue with fed WSSM brass? "

Hopefully this was just one lot of brass, we'll soon see.

Regards,
hm
 
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